Illusions of Grandeur
by WhyMustIWrite
Summary: Kakashi is held prisoner by Orochimaru. What if his only hope of rescue lay with the genin of Team 7, led by Umino Iruka? Companionfic to "Lessons Learned From a C Ranked Mission" by KakashiKrazed.
1. Prologue

This story is a companion fic for Lessons Learned From a C Ranked Mission by KakashiKrazed.  
Incidentally, it's also a gift expressing my appreciation for said author. :)

Now if you _want_ to read this without having read Lessons Learned… you _can_ do so. It should still be understandable and entertaining, though you may feel (rightly so) as though you've come in at the middle of a story.

For the fullest, most rewarding experience, I highly recommend that you read Lessons Learned From a C Ranked Mission, at some point, if you haven't already.

No... I am not shamelessly promoting KakashiKrazed's works- why do you ask? I mean, if I _were _trying to do such a thing, I'd couldn't fail to mention 'Krazed's amazingly addictive story called The Long Road Home, the action-packed The Sixth Hokage or …uh, oops.

* * *

_PROLOGUE_

_Now all he had to do was convince Kakashi's fiercely loyal kids that the best thing they could do for their team leader would be to stay put. No problem...and maybe while he was at it he could find a way to cause World Peace!  
_~ Iruka, Lessons Learned From a C Ranked Mission, Chapter 13

Iruka reentered the campsite, trailed closely by the three young genin of Team 7. Immediately, he tasked the teens to get a fire ready to use for cooking while he checked all the perimeter traps.

The makeshift team was camped a full half-day's journey from Orochumaru's den, awaiting reinforcements from Konoha. Until then, these Leaf ninja took advantage of the time to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance.

Unfortunately, Iruka sighed ruefully, the genin were growing more restless with each passing day- especially Naruto who with ever-increasing frustration argued that for every day wasted, Kakashi was closer to dying at the hands of the Snake Sannin.

It would be an unbearable thought, except Iruka knew they were hardly "wasting" their days.

Once satisfied with the camp security, the chunin settled down onto his bedroll, close to where the teens were tending the smokeless fire-pit, and unfurled the stiff parchment on which he'd drawn a detailed map of their findings over the last few days.

"Excellent work today, team," he called out, by way of encouragement (and, incidentally, to distract Naruto and Sasuke from whatever squabble they were currently engaged in), "Now I can add the location of the sewage drains to this map, and…"

"Who _cares_ where the stinkin' sewage pipes are?" Naruto petulantly burst out, nearly causing the sensei to mark a stray line on their precious diagram. "We've been here for _days_! All I care about is finding Kakashi-sensei and busting him out of that place."

Iruka sighed at the familiar argument. Without glancing up from his work, he admonished, "Patience, Naruto, patience. We're not in any position to move ahead. When reinforcements get here…"

"And how much longer is _that_ going to take?" Sasuke glowered moodily.

This caught the chunin a bit more off-guard. He could usually count on Sasuke to be the voice of reason here. Or at least to always have a different opinion from Naruto. Apparently, the genin's worry over his jonin sensei overruled both reason and rivalry.

"It has to be soon," Iruka assured, the tightness in his voice making it clear that he wasn't in the mood to endure this argument yet again. "Lady Tsunade must have received our message by now. The appropriate retrieval team won't be long in coming."

Privately, he knew it wasn't necessarily that simple.

It was _possible_ for the message about Kakashi's capture at the hands of Orochimaru to be intercepted before reaching Konoha. Or something could happen to the retrieval team before they made it here. Or the trail he'd left behind with Team 7 could have been rendered unreadable by poor weather conditions, making it nearly impossible to track them.

Any number of things could go wrong, but unless he had reason to believe that something, in fact, _did_ go wrong, he wasn't going to trouble his genin over it. " May I remind you that we're dealing with _Orochimaru_ here. Our only option is to wait."

Both boys took heed to the finality in their former sensei's tone, and seemed willing to drop the dispute temporarily, if only to avoid provoking Iruka further.

Sakura's broken voice pierced the tense silence "But what if he dies while we wait?"

Iruka paused in his drawing to wearily rub at his scar. Leave it to one of his brightest students to ask the question he couldn't answer. The question that tore him up as well. Reconnaissance and surveillance were necessary, but at some point one has to move on to the next phase. Wait too long and time could run out for the captured jounin.

Infuriating as he sometimes was, Kakashi was the best and brightest that Konoha had to offer. Thinking back on the reports Iruka had read long ago, of Orochimaru's secret labs that the Sandaime discovered before banishing him from the village, Iruka could only imagine the sort of horrors Kakashi was facing even as they spoke. Every part of him screamed he could not abandon a comrade to such a fate, that at any given moment the copy nin could be struggling for his very life.

If only he had a more experienced team with him…

But as it were, he was accompanied only by three 13-year-old genin. He could not lead them into the lair of the Snake Sannin. The teacher gently presented his reasoning, willing them just to understand. "It won't help matters, Sakura, if the retrieval team has _five_ Konoha ninja needing rescue, instead of one. And that's assuming we're not killed outright."

"Why are you assuming we'll get captured at all?" Naruto balked, already forgetting that he was going to drop the subject. "I'll take care of Oro-baka, while the rest of you find Kakashi-sensei."

"That's the worst plan I've ever heard," Sasuke snapped scornfully. "And being on _your _team, that's saying something."

"At least I _have_ a plan!" Naruto shot back.

"Boys! That's enough," Iruka intervened, finally putting away the updated map and moving up to join them by the fire. "I understand that you're worried…Really, I do. But the best way to help Kakashi-sensei right now is to do what we can to give him the best chance of being rescued."

He glanced at each of them pointedly. "And currently, that would not be us. This is not cowardice; it's common sense. Have you forgotten that Orochimaru is an S-class criminal? That he killed the Third Hokage? If we rush in there, we only advertize the fact that Konoha is closing in on him. Right now surprise is the only element we have to our advantage. We need to wait for the _proper_ team to be able to utilize it."

The genin looked crestfallen, and suddenly, Iruka felt intensely guilty. What kind of teacher quenches his students' confidence with such defeatism?

_The realistic kind that wants to keep them alive_, his inner voice supplied reasonably.

And yet…

Their disheartened expressions were almost more than he could stand.

"Hey, it'll be okay." Iruka tried, but the words rang blasphemously hollow even in his own ears. Nothing about this situation was okay, and there was no guarantee that it would be in the future.

"Listen- if a team doesn't arrive in one more day…" the chunin trailed off uncertainly. All three of the youths perked up, an ember of hope lending meager light to their darkened expressions, so he pressed on, "I'll…_consider_ altering our current course of action."

"You mean we'd go in?!" Naruto exclaimed.

Iruka frowned. "_Perhaps_, Naruto. Perhaps." He must be certifiably insane, to actually be considering that possibility. "Just…let me sleep on it."

He needed time to think this through, to turn over the possibilities in his mind.

Thus, later that night, after the fire was long extinguished and the genin asleep, Iruka lay awake conjuring up and discarding possible plans of actions. All the while, his worry for Kakashi waged war with his worry for his young charges.

"Sleep" on it. Yeah right.


	2. Chapter 1

I forgot to write a disclaimer. Is that actually necessary anyway? Oh well, just in case... *clears throat* I do not own _Naruto_, that would be Kishimoto's work. Nor do I own _Lessons Learned From a C Ranked Mission, _that's KakashiKrazed's. Let's see...yeah, Iruka's not mine either. But I can dream, can't I? =)

For followers of the main story, you'll notice some...uh...major discrepancies starting in this chapter. 'Krazed gave me leave to show off some of Iruka's ninja prowess.  
There's a reason the summary says "What if...", and that the title is what it is.

* * *

They were going after Kakashi on their own.

Iruka couldn't quite remember exactly what sort of twisted thought process led him to make such a seemingly reckless decision, but now that the decision had been made, that hardly mattered anymore.

Team 7 wasn't inclined to question it either. Relieved, excited, and even scared, they wanted this more than anything. It had been killing them to just _wait_.

As Naruto and Sakura packed, Iruka took Sasuke aside to speak to him in private.

This wasn't going to be easy. Once they were out of hearing range from the other two, Iruka began. "Sasuke, I've decided that not all of us can go into this operation," he informed. "We _need_ someone to wait here, in case the Konoha Team finally arrives."

Sasuke nodded his understanding and prepared to give his opinion on the matter. "In that case, I think it'd be best to leave…"

"I've already decided who's staying," Iruka interrupted. "I've thought it through very carefully, Sasuke, and I believe _you're_ the most logical choice."

The raven-haired youth shot him an incredulous, almost betrayed, look. He seemed at a loss for words, but finally settled with, "You've _got_ to be kidding, sensei."

When the chunin's face persisted in displaying no sign of jesting, the teen continued, "I'm the best genin on this team. You can't leave me behind!"

"It's not about who's the best, or the strongest," the chunin countered gently. "I already told you, it's simply the most logical choice." Iruka closed his eyes briefly. "If we…fail…on this mission, Orochimaru will almost undoubtedly move his base of operation. We would never have found him the _first_ time, if not for you. There's little chance of finding him a second time, without your help."

Sasuke reflexively rubbed the curse-mark on his neck- the one that allowed him to sense when Orochimaru was near. Even now, it burned. "Take me with you, sensei, and there won't _be _a second time."

Iruka raised an eyebrow at the bold statement. "This isn't up for debate, Sasuke. I may not by Kakashi, but I am leading this team at the moment. If you can't follow my orders, then we don't have a team, but a rabble. Can you trust me enough to let me lead?"

Sasuke pressed his lips together before responding. "I want to go. I have to do _something_ to rescue Kakashi-sensei. You'll need me in there. Sakura sometimes freezes up in tough situations, and Naruto rushes into things without thinking it through. One of _them_ should stay behind instead."

Iruka glanced up at the two genin in question, who were still on the other side of the camp, waiting for the chunin to rejoin them. "I understand your objections, Sasuke. But there is another reason I think it's best for you to stay."

The look in Sasuke's eyes were filled with unspoken challenge. He could see no acceptable reason to be left behind in this.

"We were able to find Orochimaru because of your curse mark. Yet we don't know exactly how the mark works." Iruka reminded him. "There's a strong possibility that getting too close will in turn alert Orochimaru to _your _presence. It would be disastrous for the mission, if he tracked you as we've been doing him. I'm not willing to take that risk."

He could see the struggle in Sasuke's expression as he considered the possibility of his presence leading Orochimaru to their group.

Finally, tersely, the boy nodded. As much as he wanted to go, he was rational enough to see why it was best for Kakashi if he stayed.

And that's what it all came down to in the end: the best way to rescue Kakashi. This was bigger than pride, rivalry, or the need to prove oneself.

Iruka couldn't help but feel relieved. "Good. Now, here are your orders.

"Maintain this camp, and be ready to receive the Konoha team if and when they finally arrive. On the other hand, be ready to obliterate all evidence of this encampment at a moment's notice, should a quick escape be necessary." Iruka paused to give room for questions. As there were none, he continued. "Finally, if the retrieval team does not arrive, and if we have not returned in three days, assume that the mission has failed. Return to Konoha immediately to report. They will need you to lead them back here, and perhaps even to help them find where Orochimaru has gone, should he move his base of operation after this."

Sasuke nodded his understanding, not wasting time by protesting at the thought of the mission failing. He needed to be prepared for every scenario. "I won't let you down," he stated begrudgingly, obviously still desiring to go.

Iruka smiled and grasped the boy's shoulder in affection. "I know you'll do well."

Even while asserting this sentiment, the sensei felt distinctly unsettled, leaving a 13-year-old so completely alone this close to enemy ground. Still, it was actually the 13-year-olds he'd be taking _with_ him who were in the greatest danger.

Speaking of reckless endangerment, it was time to go brief Naruto and Sakura on their part in this mission.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Iruka, Naruto, and Sakura approached the area where Orochimaru's hideout lay.

The journey from the camp to this location had gone by in a blur. Iruka mind had difficultly grasping the memories of just how they'd gotten to this point. His feet must have been moving on autopilot, since his mind was so occupied.

He frowned to himself. This was not the time to get careless. For the sake of his team, he had to focus.

Both genin seemed far more nervous than they had been at the camp. Clearly, arguing with Iruka about how they should be going after Kakashi, and _actually_ attempting to do so, were two vastly different concepts.

He placed a hand on either of their shoulders. "We can do this," he reassured.

Sakura looked pale. "You really think we can defeat Orochimaru?"

Iruka stifled a bark of dry laughter. He was an optimist, not an idiot. "Defeat him? No, I don't think so." He smiled wryly at them, "But, I _do_ have a plan. Right now, we're faced with an enemy we can't fight- so we _won't_."

This was met with rather blank stares. Obligingly, he elaborated. "Remember, our objective is not the defeat of Orochimaru, but the rescue of Kakashi-sensei. For this operation to succeed, we must avoid all confrontation and work toward our true goal."

He peered through the leaves of the tree in which they were currently sequestered. A patchwork of shadows shrouded his face as he continued to explain, "If we do our job, that snake won't know that we were ever here until it's already too late."

The gleam in their sensei's eyes became predatory- a side of the chunin that didn't manifest often. "When we move through that compound, team, it will be as immaterial beings, insubstantial shadows." A hint of pride and fierceness entered his tone. "In other words…as _ninja_."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Standard ninja missions generally began with intelligence gathering, followed by infiltration where applicable.

While rescuing the copy ninja from the clutches of one of the most dangerous S-class criminals known to man could hardly be considered a "standard" mission, thus far Iruka found that the basics still applied.

Days of reconnaissance enabled the chunin to prepare a plan for entry. The power lines that fed electricity into Orochimaru's den lay buried underground, but soil erosion in one area left a small portion of those wires unearthed.

Disrupting electricity even temporarily would disrupt any surveillance cameras, and possibly disable some security.

With this thought in mind, Iruka examined the wires intently, the genin keeping watch closely behind. Finally, he nodded to himself, coming to a decision, and retrieved a spoon from his vest.

"Uh…sensei?" Naruto whispered, eyeing the blunt metal object in his grasp, "Don't you think it will be easier to cut the wires with a knife?... You can borrow mine if you want."

The sensei's lips thinned. "No thank you, Naruto. If we cut the wire, it will be obvious that enemies are present. We need a more subtle, indirect approach."

Iruka proceeded to withdraw a small plastic container filled with a creamy, brown substance. The spoon dipped into the jar and a small portion of the substance was scooped out and applied over the wire.

He examined his handiwork minutely. "All right. Let's go."

The sensei disappeared into the leaves of a tree. Naruto shot Sakura a questioning look, to which the kunoichi could only shrug. Finally, they simply followed suit and took refuge in the sheltering branches of the great oak.

"Sensei," Naruto asked finally, when no further action was forthcoming, "What did you put on the wires? It smelled like peanut butter."

Sakura whacked the boy's head. "Don't be a moron, Naruto! It must be some type of wire-dissolving chemical…right, sensei?"

Iruka kept watch on the ground below as he answered. "Actually, it was peanut butter."

Naruto shot a triumphant grin at his teammate, whose face scrunched up in confusion. She was about to comment, but Iruka stayed her with a raised hand, never lifting his eyes from the area underneath them where the wires lay.

"Now please, no more talking. I _do_ have a plan, and currently it requires both silence and patience."

Out of respect for their former sensei, the genin waited silently in the tree. Mostly, they pondered if it was at all possible that peanut butter had some sort of electricity-draining ability.

After nearly two hours of silent pondering, just before their concern for their leader's sanity began to outweigh their respect, Iruka's eyes lit with triumph. Placing a finger over his lips to emphasize the command for silence, he tilted his chin toward the power lines.

A large, grey rabbit approached, nose twitching actively as it sniffed at the peanut-butter coated cable. Finally, the animal began gnawing, tentatively at first but with increasing vigor, delighted with its newfound treat.

Minutes later, electricity coursed through the creature's body, leaving it prone at its side. Iruka jumped down lightly and examined the damage.

The rabbit had chewed right through the plastic coating, leaving the metal wires underneath exposed, and even nicked, but still intact. Not as much as it could have been, but still, it was enough.

Iruka then examined the creature itself. Its fur was the oddest grey Iruka had ever seen- much closer to blue, in fact, now that he'd had a closer look. A check for genjutsu revealed nothing suspicious, so for now the freakishly blue rabbit was categorized as something interesting to ponder later, but not immediately relevant to the mission.

Naruto silently dropped down beside him, and with wide, watery eyes took in the still form. Slowly, the boy crouched over the prone animal.

"Iruka-sensei…" the blonde whispered tragically, "…is he…?"

Sensing the solemnity of the moment, and having learned to never minimize his students' feelings, the chunin nodded gravely. "Yes, Naruto. The rabbit is dead."

The boy's lip trembled slightly as he stated, almost aghast, "You… killed an innocent bunny."

The older ninja's eyes lowered. "Yes, Naruto. I did."

This was part of the reason Iruka avoided taking difficult missions with former students. It was one thing for them to know theoretically that their tame, unassuming sensei is, in fact, also a ninja. It was another thing altogether for them to see it firsthand.

In truth, Iruka hadn't really given his actions a second thought. But obviously it meant something to the boy beside him. Would Naruto ever look at him the same way again?

"It was a necessary loss," he pointed out gently. "Hopefully, this will be the only casualty we see today." It pained him to see the hurt in the boy's eyes.

Sakura released a noisy breath. "For goodness sake, Naruto, it's just a _rabbit_! Kakashi-sensei killed one too, that time we ran out of ration bars. Then we ate it for dinner, remember?"

Naruto blinked. "Oh…yeah." He suddenly brightened. "Hey, can we eat this one too?"

Iruka inwardly sighed in relief. It seemed his image before Naruto was safe for now. "No, we need to leave it, so the enemy will have something on which to blame the power outage."

"What power outage, sensei?" Sakura pointed out. "The wire's still intact."

"Ah, but it is now exposed, and vulnerable to the elements," Iruka explained cheerfully.

He then scanned the clear sky, looking vainly for some sign of such elements. However, no storm clouds menaced in the distance. Just a bright moon, happily twinkling stars, and the occasional puffy cumulus cloud.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like rain will be forthcoming. I'll need to improvise." Iruka's hands flew deftly through the hand seals necessary for an elementary, D-rank water jutsu.

The resulting mist that arose wasn't particularly heavy. The chunin took particular care to make the fog appear natural as he concentrated more water vapor over the wire, causing condensation to rapidly accumulate. From there, simple water manipulation resulted in an excessive current that promptly short-circuited the system.

"It's done, the power's out." Iruka announced. "We'll make our entrance soon- and when we do, remember," he glanced at his former students sternly. "Do not engage _anyone _without my consent. All it takes is one 'missing' guard, and our position is compromised. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sensei." The two genin responded, in a way that strongly reminded Iruka of their Academy days. The teacher could be quite severe while laying down the non-negotiable criteria for classes like advanced weapons handling, and his stern instructions were often met with the same earnest "Yes, sensei."

But the stakes here were much higher than a grade report, or promotion to the next level. This was not a classroom exam. This was the "real world" about which he so often spoke. And the life of their jounin sensei hung in the balance.

* * *

Next Chapter: Infiltrating Orochimaru's hideout and the first Kakashi appearance.

And of course, thank you to those who reviewed last chapter, **yure-chan, Reidluver, Ir1s, KakashiKrazed, Skater Valentine, **and **chibi heishi**.


	3. Chapter 2

Okay, for Lessons Learned From a C Ranked Mission readers who are wondering how in the world this story fits in the timeline:

Prologue- After the safe camp is set up, before the Konoha rescue teams arrive  
***Time Jump***  
Chapter 1 and following. - If you look back over chapter 15 of Lessons Learned…, you should be able to figure out _exactly_ what's going on. =)

Or you can wait for the end of the story to find out.

* * *

Sometimes, the stealthiest entrances are made right through the front door.

The primary entrance to Orochimaru's den lay hidden under genjutsu and protected under seals. Only once the three Sound ninja accessed it from the inside did it become visible.

Two of those Sound ninja moved out, searching for the source of their unexpected power outage. The third remained at the entrance, standing guard. Before long, the apparent cause was discovered and, as it could not be immediately fixed, the ninja re-entered the facility, dead rabbit in hand to verify their findings.

Just as the portal swung closed, a lone leaf drifted lazily through the air. It danced lightly in the breeze, spining twice before getting caught in the crevice, wedged between the door and its limestone frame.

The entry was sealed from within and for the next few minutes, silence reigned.

Finally, cautiously, a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village dropped down as well. He crouched, cat-like, by the door and closed his eyes, allowing his enhanced hearing to track the receding footsteps. Listening closely, he waited until the guards left the immediate area.

A hand sign transformed the wedged "leaf" into a strip of parchment inscribed with intricate ink seals.

Another hand sign activated the parchment, which acted as a key to the door. Since the enemies' seals had been applied over the Leaf seal, it retained the impression of the enemy chakra and could temporarily unlock the entryway.

The door swung open noiselessly. Iruka peered inside then finally nodded to his accomplices. The genin dropped down beside him, and before they entered Iruka took this opportunity for one last reinforcement of his directives. "_Remember_, team, this is a lightning operation: Get in. Get Ka…"

"…Get Kakashi. Get out," Naruto and Sakura chimed in and finished.

"We _know _sensei," Sakura assured. "You've already told us that."

"Over and over again," Naruto added with a grimace.

Repetition is a teacher's tool, but perhaps he had overdone it just a bit. The sensei couldn't help but worry a little that his charges would do something reckless. As if entering the Snake Sannin's domain weren't reckless _enough._

Having entered, the door shut and re-sealed behind them. Iruka pocketed his new custom-fit paper key. The parchment retained the memory of the seals applied over it. So long as the door wasn't outfitted with new seals before it was time to leave, they could make use of this for an exit.

And if not, well, there was always the sewer pipes.

Here at the main entrance, a rank, musty odor assaulted their nostrils. A faint humming noise emitted from a few glowing chakra tags along the limestone wall, obviously slapped on in hasty response to the black-out. While it did offer at least minimal illumination, the sickly green light also cast eerily contorted shadows along the dank lair, giving the atmosphere a ghastly nightmarish quality. Rather fitting, considered their location.

The three intruders used chakra to attach themselves to the ceiling like they would normally do with trees. As ninja of the Leaf, they understood how effective it can be to conceal oneself above the enemy. An elementary shadow-cloaking jutsu, taught to every Academy student, shrouded each infiltrator in a covering of darkness.

Iruka was relieved to note that Orochimaru's lair had relatively high ceilings, with the dead light fixtures located halfway up the walls. Even if the power returned while they were inside, a few extra shadows on the ceiling would not be conspicuous.

As they moved along, the chunin couldn't help but be pleased at seeing how far along both genin had come in concealing their chakra and cloaking their physical presence. _You've taught your students well, Kakashi._

Preliminary intelligence gathering- a success. Infiltration- coming along smoothly.

Now for the actual retrieval.

Iruka had stolen his fair share of secret documents in his lifetime; now he'd have to expand on those skills in order to retrieve an individual rather than information.

One crucial aspect to retrieval operations was the ability to communicate with teammates, even while maintaining complete silence. A nearly-invisible line of slender chakra thread connected the three ninja for just that reason.

The passageway branched off in three directions. Iruka sent a tiny chakra pulse along the thread, a signal for the others to hold their positions. He closed his eyes and concentrated, allowing his chakra to enhance his hearing once again.

His own heartbeat superseded the other noises at first. His teammates' slight breathing came through next. Iruka listened beyond that, interpreting certain noises as the sound of mice scrounging for food, and water dripping from a pipe.

He heard the soft shuffle of footsteps as well, in both directions. There were many people in this compound. But that still didn't tell him which way to go.

A distant scream assaulted his ultra-heightened hearing. Iruka cringed and put a hand over his ringing ear, but was too well trained to vocalize either his pain or surprise. The ringing subsided, and in its place came the realization that the cry sounded like it may have been the copy nin's.

In a way this was good news, he supposed. A screaming Kakashi meant a living Kakashi. Still, Iruka did not want to imagine what sort of duress would be required to elicit such a pain-wracked response from the legendary jounin.

At least now he had a direction. A single tug on the chakra thread instructed the genin to follow him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Somewhere along the way, their dank cave-like surroundings transformed into sleek, metallic walls. The air became colder. The atmosphere more clinical. While this seemed strange, Iruka had more pressing things to worry about than a random change in décor.

Vigilant guards can be a problem for would-be infiltrators. They took their job seriously, paid careful attention to every sight and sound around them, and jumped to investigate every little noise.

Iruka had tasked Naruto with dealing with such dedicated sentry. The boy's solid shadow clones provided careful distractions to these guards, leading them from their post with sounds and movements that inevitably turned out to be "rattling pipes" or "those darn rats again."

But even the best guards become disinterested. Spending countless hours on watch, and never having anything show up, will take its toll on most anyone's level of awareness. The more bored a guard was, the better it was for the opposition.

Sakura was tasked with the use of an elementary technique called emotional projection. A ninja knew how to manipulate others by influencing them with certain feelings. Sakura, with her strong emotional capacity and affinity for genjutsu, was a natural at this skill. Imagining some of the driest lectures she'd ever received, she assaulted her targets with the overwhelming and sense-dulling sensation of utter boredom. These guards were then easy to sneak past, or ripe prey for a simple genjutsu cast by the chunin squad leader.

Iruka's breath caught when Kakashi's screams went suddenly silent.

By the kage, he hoped that meant the termination of the jounin's torture session, and not that of his life. No, Iruka comforted himself, if Orochimaru wanted Kakashi dead, the opportunities had been plentiful. That Sannin was after something else.

He continued in the general direction of their captured comrade's cries, but determining an exact location would be difficult now that they had been silenced.

The chunin signaled with the chakra thread for his teammates to wait as he stopped to investigate one suspicious room. Iruka unwound more thread as he left the two further behind, knowing that at his signal they would either follow or turn back.

When he entered the room, still attached firmly to the ceiling, his eyes widened at the revelation of what he'd found.

Not Kakashi, but the next best thing. _Information._

This…this was a file room…no doubt full of all types of intelligence that would have his superiors back in Konoha drooling in anticipation. Could it contain the site of Orochimaru's other hidden bases and laboratories? His plans for future attacks? Perhaps here was where that Snake was keeping records of the results of his experimentation.

The paperwork ninja found himself lusting after the contents of these files. How long would it take to steal or make copies of the information? How much risk could he afford, in dealing with whatever traps and seals were sure to protect them from being tampered?

"_Get in. Get Kakashi. Get out."_ Iruka mentally chanted. Ironic that the mantra he forced down his genin's throat was now guiding him.

With the time and danger involved in getting into such sensitive intelligence, he'd put Naruto and Sakura at greater risk and drastically decrease their chances of successfully rescuing the copy ninja undetected. He could not, would not, sacrifice their lives for information, however potentially valuable it may be. _Sorry Ibiki_.

He was about to turn back when he felt a warning pulse flow through the chakra wire, followed by two gentle tugs. The genin were letting him know that two enemies were approaching this room. If Iruka left now, he would likely be spotted.

Scooting into the darkest corner, he made sure his shadow and chakra cloaking were perfectly in place and waited. Just in case, he slowed his breathing and heartbeat to minimize the chance of being heard.

Two ninja entered the room. One Iruka instantly recognized as the traitor, Yakushi Kabuto, the young man who took out _eight_ Konoha ANBU in an attempt to get at Sasuke.

The chunin willed his heart not to beat faster in anxiety. He was hidden. His genin were hidden. Sasuke was a half day's journey away. Kabuto didn't know he was here. For now he had the advantage.

The two ninja approached a darkened computer terminal. Iruka hadn't noticed it before. Odd, since he was usually very observant. He must have really been distracted by his desire for the files.

Iruka despised computers. Once, at Hayate's behest, they tried to install one in the mission room, but found the machine to be slow and inconvenient. Then one day it crashed and its memory erased, making Iruka fiercely glad that he had insisted on maintaining paper files as usual.

Despite all those problems, Hayate had still insisted that computers were the future, that one day they would all but replace traditional scroll and parchment. Like _that _would ever happen.

Apparently, Orochimaru saw some value in those irritating machines as well.

The unknown ninja began to boot the computer system. He waved a hand at the now lit screen. "As you can see, Kabuto, we have enough power in the backup generator to keep most of the machines in the laboratories running, as well as some of our computer systems. The rest will have to wait until we're back to full power."

Iruka felt disappointed, but did not dwell on it. Not everything could go according to plan. At least the lights were still down, as well as the security cameras.

Kabuto set open a folder he'd been carrying. "Well then, I need you to enter the latest data from the Hatake experiments. I'm going back to go retrieve more data from our subject."

"Yes, sir," the other responded.

Iruka sent his teammates a warning pulse that an enemy was about to exit from the room into the area where they were hidden. Then he cast one last longing look at the file cabinets around him, scowling at the man entering information on _their_ Kakashi, before exiting himself.

At least there was one positive development. It seemed that following Kabuto would lead them to their copy ninja.

Iruka reunited with Naruto and Sakura. Pride swelled in him when the only way he could find them was to follow the chakra wire binding them together. Their cloaking skills were excellent. Of course, Naruto had loved this technique as early as his Academy days; it was the one he used most often for his infamous pranks. But back then, Iruka, at least, had been able to see through it. Now both children were able to seamlessly blend with their surroundings.

The three Leaf ninja followed Kabuto, keeping as much distance as possible between them. Iruka's acute hearing allowed him to follow without actually keeping visual contact with the Leaf defector.

_Just how big _is _this place?_ the chunin wondered, as he made what seemed like dozens of twists and turns through the labyrinth-like hallways. His hands were being rubbed raw as he crawled upside down on the rough concrete ceiling. Too bad they didn't stick with the metallic motif from earlier. By now it was clear that this compound was purposely designed to cause confusion and disorientation.

The smell of drugs and antiseptics stung his nose, alerting him to their proximity to their target.

An oppressive surge of chakra and an overwhelming sense of dread weighed down on him, almost palpitable in its thickness. He heard Sakura gulp audibly and knew that his students felt it as well.

Finally, they made it outside the lab where Kakashi lay prisoner. Kabuto was, of course, already inside. Iruka opted to eavesdrop on the proceedings before deciding their next step.

"…ready to begin, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto finished saying.

A cold laugh sent chills down Iruka's spine. "It seems our last session was a bit much for dear Kakashi. He's still out cold." A wet noise followed this, which sounded very much like a tongue moving against flesh. "See if you can revive him first."

"As you wish, my Lord."

"I'll leave you to it, then." The Snake Sannin informed him. "When the next batch is ready, I'll have it sent over."

The Leaf ninja remained hidden on the ceiling, covered in shadows, as the mastermind behind Kakashi's abduction retreated from the laboratory. Breathlessly, they watched him move down the hall, opposite from where they themselves had travelled.

Every nerve and muscle taut, Iruka barely controlled his hands from shaking. Hidden though they were, just _seeing_ the man they were about to cross brought to bear just how much he was endangering his former students.

It was quite sometime before the three of them dared to move again. Iruka crawled along the ceiling, backing away from the laboratory.

_Recap_, Iruka thought to himself. _We found Kakashi, but Kabuto is currently in there with him. However, Orochimaru just left, and he is greater danger. The longer we wait, the more likely it becomes that he will return during the extraction. Not to mention the more damaged Kakashi himself will be, as a result of the experimentation._

Finally, Iruka found what he was looking for, an unoccupied room they had passed by moments earlier. He entered, locking the door behind them.

"Sensei, what are we going to do?" Sakura whispered faintly once the room was safely sealed and soundproofed.

Iruka rubbed his scar pensively. "I have a plan."

The chunin dropped down to the ground. His hands flew threw familiar seals as he focused his thoughts on the man who just left the laboratory. A thin cloud of chakra smoke obscured him for a moment before clearing up. In place of the Academy sensei, stood the very likeness of the pale-skinned Orochimaru.

"Well," he spread his arms out, presenting himself for inspection. "How did I do?" Iruka knew that his students had a close-up encounter with the Snake Sannin during the chunin exams. Iruka himself had never even seen the battle with the Hokage, since he had been involved with the evacuation. "This is the first time I've seen Orochimaru in years, and it was rather dark."

"Well… you did a pretty good job." Sakura finally offered. Naruto was too busy grimacing at the image of his hated foe to comment.

"Just pretty good?" Iruka could tell she was being polite and it made him uneasy. "I need to be better than _pretty good_ if this is going to work. Don't worry about hurting my feelings, Sakura. Tell me what I did wrong."

"I-I think his eyebrows are thinner…don't you Naruto?" the kunoichi asked.

Naruto squinted and tilted his head to the side. "Yeeaahh…And his eyes were creepier."

"Creepier?" Iruka frowned.

"Creepier," the boy nodded decisively.

"Okaaay..." Iruka sighed, internally trying to decide what sort of concrete change would result in an increase of "creepiness" in those serpentine eyes.

It took several adjustments, but once the illusion was up to standard, the children instructed him on the way Orochimaru smiled with the left side of his mouth lifted up higher than the right. Iruka flicked his tongue out a few times for practice sake. Then he made quick work of finding the right voice.

Henge no jutsu, the art of transformation, was one of Iruka's strongest abilities. He had fooled his former friend, Mizuki, into believing he was Naruto. He had fooled Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke; the children who spents hours on end with him, day after day, for several years; into believing he was an enemy ninja, when he tried to test their abilities before the chunin exam.

He could fool Kabuto into thinking he was Orochimaru, he thought fiercely. He _had _to. The consequence of failure was more than he cared to consider.

"I'm going in, without the chakra wire," Iruka told them finally. "You both remain in hiding outside the laboratory. You may enter only after I've gotten Kabuto to leave."

"But how can we warn you when someone's coming if you don't have the wire?" Sakura asked.

"You can't," he stated curtly. " It's a risk we'll have to take. I doubt Kabuto would fail to notice something like that." The genin exchanged a nervous glance, and Iruka smiled reassuringly, or, at least, what _would_ have been reassuring if the features weren't Orochimaru's. "Now, let's go rescue Kakashi-sensei."

It was the right thing to say. The kids' eyes brightened and they nodded seriously. Sakura shrouded herself in shadows once more and resumed the high vantage point. Naruto followed suit, but before chakra walking to the ceiling, Iruka found himself smothered by the clingy shadow genin.

"Be careful, Iruka-sensei," Naruto whispered.

"I will," the chunin promised, shooing the boy away before he became too sentimental. Orochimaru was not sentimental.

Dangerous, ruthless, cunning, confident, these were the characteristics he needed to focus on at this moment.

He coolly entered the laboratory where Kabuto hovered over the form of their prisoner.

"Lord Orochimaru," the younger ninja straightened, then inclined his head. "The next batch couldn't be ready yet, could it?"

"Not quite," Iruka confirmed, exuding self-assurance and power that he did not truly feel. Next batch of _what_? Best to change the topic.

He continued in a silky tone. "Tell me, Kabuto, why have these idiots failed to bring the power back yet? This system collapse is trying my patience."

"My lord, we don't have skilled electricians in this base at the moment. It will take some time, but it shouldn't be too much longer."

"Hn." Iruka narrowed his pale gold, sufficiently creepy eyes. "And what of our pet? Is he conscious?"

Gliding closer to the examination table, the chunin restrained all visible reaction when getting his first real glimpse of the unmasked, barely dressed copy ninja.

A fragile paper doll, Kakashi's skin was nearly as white as Orochimaru's himself. Except where conspicuously marred by various contusions and injury. His arms were covered with needle marks and the telltale signs of collapsed veins. Tremors wracked the emaciated form, though he gave no sign of being lucid at the moment.

"I haven't been able to revive him," Kabuto admitted, interrupting Iruka's hasty analysis. "Shall I begin the procedure regardless?"

"No," Iruka hissed, both wanting to spare his comrade and making the conjecture that Orochimaru was something of a sadist. "We'll wait until our dear Kakashi is awake for that." He took a moment to stroke the copy ninja's abused neck, stifling the anger that surged upon noting the distinctly hand-shaped bruising. "I want to tear more screams from his throat."

"Yes, sir," Kabuto responded indifferently, indicating that Iruka's words had been the normal and expected response.

"Go and see what's taking so long to get the power back," Iruka continued. "I don't tolerate incompetence."

"Yes, sir."

The young man bowed, and in that instant Iruka realized this was probably the best chance he'd get to terminate this filthy turncoat. A well placed kunai could do the job if he managed to actually make proper contact. A poisoned kunai would make even a non-mortal wound fatal.

Even great men could die in simple ways.

And yet, a botched murder attempt would utterly destroy their real mission.

Kabuto straightened, and the moment was lost.

_Get In. Get Kakashi. Get out. _Iruka reminded himself again, trying not to feel too guilty about letting such an opportunity slip through his fingers. It wouldn't help Konoha, or Kakashi, if he got himself killed by doing something reckless.

Maintaining his role as Orochimaru he added, "I'm staying here with our pet for the moment. I do not want to be disturbed."

"Of course…Lord _Orochimaru_!" Kabuto leapt forward as he sneered the last word, and Iruka belatedly realized he'd been discovered after all.

* * *

Thank you all for such an enthusiastic reception for this fic! It's an incredible encouragement. Thanks to **terracannon876, chibi heishi, KakashiKrazed, Auphora66, Reidluver, Ir1s, Skater Valentine, SongoftheDarquePhoenix, Hiya120, Ryuosen, dk-joy, Prescripto13, **and **deerang88 **for reviewing!


	4. Chapter 3

...That was an evil cliffhanger with which I left you. But here's a nice long chapter that hopefully will be satisfying. And thank you, **yure-chan, terracannon876, dk-joy, deerang88, SongoftheDarquePhoenix, Reidluver, chibi heishi, KakashiKrazed, Auphora66, Hiya120, Skater Valentine, Rangerfan58, **and** Prescripto13 **for reviewing! It helped brighten a not-so-good day.

* * *

"Of course…Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto leapt forward as he sneered the last word, and Iruka belatedly realized he'd been discovered after all.

The bespectacled ninja aimed a chakra enhanced blow to Iruka's neck, and the chunin only barely managed to twist his body away. Using the momentum of his dodge, Iruka thrust a hastily withdrawn poison-tipped kunai at his opponent.

Kabuto growled as he caught the chunin's arm and forced him backwards. The Konoha ninja, still disguised as Orochimaru, fell against laboratory equipment. The shattering glass dug into his back. However, Iruka was far more concerned about the noise created by the crash.

The sensei escaped his hold and grabbed Kabuto in a head lock, but his opponent swiftly broke free. The fight quickly degenerated a savage wrestling match as the two shinobi struggled for the upper hand.

Iruka hissed as his head and injured back was slammed against the stone floor, Kabuto pinning him down. His vision swam for a split second before he peripherally spied his dropped kunai on the ground to his left.

He needed a bit more freedom of movement to be able to reach it. With that in mind, he brought his knee up sharply into Kabuto's groin, eliciting a surprised and painful groan from the other man.

Iruka twisted and stretched for the weapon. In Orochimaru's tall and long limbed form, he easily grabbed and turned quickly to make use of it.

Kabuto was faster, jabbing the sensei's chest with a chakra enhanced strike, damaging the muscle fibers without breaking the skin. As the older ninja struggled and gasped for air, Kabuto disarmed and apprehended him.

The poison tipped kunai was now at Iruka's throat. "Who are you?" Kabuto demanded.

"NO! Sensei!" The desperate cry rang out and an orange blur rushed into the lab, ready to fight and defend his precious person.

"_Naruto?_" Eyes widened in surprise, Kabuto turned his head.

Then his head continued turning, when a long tongue wrapped around his neck, forcing it to snap.

The genin gaped in shock.

Slowly, Iruka unraveled his outrageously long Orochimaru-tongue from around Kabuto's throat. He checked to make sure the man was dead and, with a shuddering gasp, finally released the transformation, reverting back to his normal features.

Stunned by the simple, lackluster end for one of Konoha's most dangerous criminals, even Naruto was temporarily rendered speachless. For a long moment, only the sound of Iruka's ragged panting could be heard.

"You beat _Kabuto,_" Naruto breathed in awe, once he found his voice.

"You'd be surprised... how often powerful ninja are beaten by vastly inferior opponents," Iruka wheezed. "Thank you, for distracting him." He chuckled humorlessly and looked up, "Though generally, a ninja would opt for remaining hidden and attacking from the shadows, as Sakura was preparing to do."

"Are you hurt?" Sakura exclaimed, removing herself from the shadows and running to the sensei's side.

"Nothing serious," he assured them. His breathing was labored, but they had much more pressing issues at hand. "Sakura, look around and seize as many vials and chemicals as you can. Naruto," he hesitated, not wishing to give the boy such an unpleasant task but seeing no way around it, "…hide the body, but don't bother cleaning up the glass. When you're finished, help Sakura. _Quickly_."

There was no hiding the fact that a fight had taken place, but keeping Kabuto's death a secret could prove useful, Iruka thought. His hands formed familiar seals and in moments the sensei transformed into Kabuto's likeness.

While the kids set to work, the chunin approached the medical table. Kakashi was dressed only in boxers, but somehow it was his maskless face that seemed most vulnerable and naked. Besides the long scar bisecting one eye, Kakashi's face was smooth and boyish, far too young-looking to be that of a famed ninja prodigy.

Iruka quickly examined him. The visible injuries were not life-threatening, and most had already been treated. However, it was clear that besides being dangerously drained of chakra, the copy ninja had also been heavily drugged, probably with multiple substances. Iruka could not risk giving him even a generic antidote. There was no telling what kind of reaction he'd have, and it was highly unlikely that it would be effective in the first place.

The chunin worried his bottom lip with his teeth. The wan and unmoving form before him looked indescribably fragile, and Iruka was almost afraid that merely moving him would cause the jounin to break. This was going to be a risky extraction.

First things first. Kakashi's arms and legs were bound by heavy chains, as well as secured to the table itself with leather straps.

Iruka started by undoing the straps at his arms, a low growl escaping his throat when he noticed they'd been secured so tightly that the chains dug viciously into Kakashi's skin. As though that were even necessary, he mentally raged, with the prisoner in as feeble a condition as Kakashi currently…

His thoughts were cut off, as well as his air, when the "feeble" copy ninja shot forward and wrapped the chains on his wrists around Iruka's neck.

The chunin's eyes widened as he grasped at the cold metal, desperately trying to free himself. As it was, he was fortunate Kakashi didn't have strength enough to snap his neck then and there. But that didn't stop the jounin from attempting to choke the life from him. His smooth, unmasked face was intense with fury and determination.

Iruka dropped the henge, hoping that Kakashi was lucid enough to recognize a fellow Konoha ninja. In the meantime, both Naruto and Sakura rushed to intervene.

"Kakashi-sensei, it's us!" Sakura exclaimed. "We're here to rescue you!"

"Don't kill Iruka-sensei!" Naruto added shrilly.

The copy ninja's hold relaxed, though the chains were still at Iruka's neck. He kept his Sharingan eye closed as the other roved skeptically over the three would-be-rescuers.

Iruka could tell what the man was thinking. He preformed the appropriate hand sign, nearly risking another bout of strangulation, and muttered the word for the release of genjutsu. "Kai." He knew Kakashi would feel the ripples of the jutsu. "See? This isn't an illusion."

Kakashi's frown deepened and he briefly opened his Sharingan eye, quickly snapping it shut as the move drained him of even more precious chakra. The brief look was enough to confirm the chunin's words. This was not an illusion.

Iruka removed his own hitai ate. "Here, Kakashi-sensei." Very carefully, he tied the cloth over the jounin's left eye to protect him from further draining his reserves.

Kakashi stared blankly at the scarred nose chunin. Iruka grew increasingly concerned about his ability to comprehend. "Kakashi-sensei, do you recognize me? What's my name?"

The jounin swallowed thickly, then spoke for the first time. "What…the…hell?! Tsunade sent _you _to rescue me? Was she _drunk_?"

Iruka felt a vein throb in his forehead. "Are you really going to complain about who does the rescuing? Because we can just leave you here."

Both genin shot him a horrified look at that suggestion.

"No way!" Naruto fiercely contradicted. "We're saving him whether he wants us to or not!"

Kakashi sighed and offered the teacher a tired, empty half-smile. "Looks like I must resign myself to being rescued then."

"All right, Naruto, Sakura, get back to your tasks," Iruka barked. "We need to collect what substances we can find, for the medics to know how to treat him back in Konoha."

He examined the chains still binding Kakashi's wrists. They were fitted with chakra wards to mute out any attempts at releasing them by means of chakra manipulation. He noted that they also prevented Kakashi from being able to utilize hand seals. The design that had gone into these bonds was quite sophisticated. Breaking the intricate wards would require far more time than he cared to invest.

Iruka retrieved his set of lock picks. He'd do this the old fashioned way.

As the chunin worked the lock with a slender metal pick, Kakashi watched his genin snatch up vial after vial of serum and chemicals.

"At least you had sense enough not to bring Sasuke on a mission like this," the copy ninja noted.

The chunin said nothing as the first lock sprung open. However, a telltale shade of red appeared along his scar as he took to the second, and Kakashi narrowed his eye. "You _didn't_ bring Sasuke…did you?"

"Sasuke? Uh, no he's not here." Iruka's eyes remained fixed on his work. "He's waiting for us back at our camp."

"_What?"_ Kakashi hissed. "Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what Orochimaru would do if he knew that boy was near? Tell me you at _least_ left him with someone capable."

If anything, Iruka's face turned redder as he moved to undo the chains at Kakashi's ankles. "Look," he snapped, "I care about these kids too. The circumstances of this operation are outside of my control. I'm doing the best I can with what I have, and your criticizing isn't going to help."

Kakashi was silent for a moment. Then he nodded, as though ceding the point. "All right then. What's you're exit strategy?"

"Well, I used a henge of Orochimaru to get into this area…but now that I've dispatched Kabuto, using _his_ form would be the most practical. I assume you aren't held in this laboratory continually? They must transport you at some point."

"Yes, they…" the jounin trailed off. "Did you just say you dispatched Kabuto?"

"Please, Kakashi, focus," Iruka chided, "Do they transport you to other areas of this facility?"

The two shinobi were working out the details, when suddenly the copy ninja tensed. "Iruka, someone's coming."

The chunin hadn't sensed it, but he wasn't going to question Kakashi's senses. The genin quickly hid while Iruka shoved his comrade back down on the table and let his fingers fly through the transformation jutsu. He just barely finished in time before the person entered room.

"Kabuto, I was sent to…" the newcomer stopped short and her eyes trailed over the state of the room, lingering over the broken glass and upturned equipment. "What happened here?"

"The subject attempted to escape." Iruka answered tersely, mimicking Kabuto's speech patterns and inflection. "I just brought him back under control."

"_Again_?" The other ninja sighed and rubbed her eyes in frustration. "I don't relish telling Lord Orochimaru that he damaged even _more_ of our equipment. He wasn't happy last time."

"_I'll_ take care of reporting this incident," Iruka replied curtly. "Now what do you want?"

"Oh, yeah," the Sound kunoichi held out a clear vial of liquid. At first, it seemed like the contents were black, but closer inspection revealed it to be a deep, dark red. "I brought the next batch of serum. Lord Orochimaru wants you to get started on the next session right away if you haven't already."

Iruka grabbed the vial and nodded. "Understood."

The kunoichi inclined her head and turned to leave. But she paused suddenly at the door "Oh, yeah, Lord Orochimaru also said he'll be up shortly."

Of course, the revelation of the imminent approach of the Snake Sannin was enough to send a shot of alarm coursing through his system, but he did not react until after the messenger left.

"We're out of time, let's move out now." Iruka helped the jounin get to his feet. "Naruto, Sakura, remain hidden and follow us."

The chains were still around Kakashi's wrists and ankles, but unlocked and easily removed should the need arose. For now, the hitai-ate around Kakashi's eye was taken away to maintain appearances for anyone they would happen upon.

"Iruka, I need a soldier pill to boost my chakra," the copy ninja insisted before they left. "I won't be any help without it."

"No," the sensei responded decisively. "With all those unidentified drugs in your system, we don't know if your body could handle the strain. Soldier pills can be a hazard even for healthy ninja."

"But…"

"We'll be out of here in minutes, Kakashi-sensei," Iruka cut him off, steering him toward the exit. "Just act natural."

"No one's going to fall for this," Kakashi mumbled.

The moment they stepped into the dark hallway, Iruka's entire demeanor changed. Cold, clinical, and understatedly dangerous- he immersed himself in the role of Kabuto.

They passed checkpoint after checkpoint with no resistance and barely any inquiry. More familiar with the behavior and mannerisms of Kabuto than Orochimaru, he capitalized on this edge and skillfully played his part.

But, of course, things could never just be easy.

Iruka and Kakashi arrived at another guard post when a snake summon appeared at the same time with a message. "Kabuto hasss jussst been found dead. Kakashi isss missssing." The bored looking serpent then slithered away to deliver its message to its next recipients.

The eyes of every guard locked onto the pair in front of them. Caught.

Iruka's eyes narrowed as he slid into combat stance. Beside him, Kakashi did the same. Energy crackled in the air as every ninja prepared for battle.

Iruka moved his arm, and every opponent tensed for an attack. Instead, a small silver ball hit the ground and smoke billowed rapidly into the area. Iruka grabbed a genin in either arm and took off, Kakashi at his side.

The chunin worried for Kakashi's ability to keep up, but thus far he maintained an impressive speed, considering his experiment-ravaged form.

Rather, as Iruka pushed his own body to move faster, his already damaged chest muscles contracted painfully and refused to cooperate with his lungs' desperate attempts to expand and pull in air.

He ignored the pain as only a trained shinobi could, while they attempted to escaped their pursuers. The need for oxygen, however, could not be so easily disregarded. His vision swam and his pace slowed as feelings of lightheadedness increased.

"Iruka? What's wrong?" Kakashi's voice sounded dim behind the roaring in his ears.

Naruto and Sakura cried out in alarm when the chunin crashed onto his knees, doubled over and gasping painfully for breath. One hand clutched at his chest, the other he waved in the air before him, wordlessly signaling the group to go on without him. The enemy ninja were hot on their trail and Kakashi was in no condition to carry another person's weight.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the implied command. Instead he pulled the younger man to his feet and began searching his vest.

"Wha…" Iruka tried to ask, but couldn't force the words out. However, the jounin's intentions became all too clear when he retrieved a small container of soldier pills from the chunin vest.

Before anyone could protest, Kakashi swallowed two of them dry and grabbed a kunai from the other man's pouch. "I don't abandon my comrades," he fiercely declared, just as the pursuing enemy forces caught up.

The chakra enhancing effects of the soldier pill took place immediately. Time seemed to slow as the copy ninja challenged them head on. He rammed the borrowed blade into one man's throat. Kakashi did not bother trying to pull the kunai out, instead stealing a katana from the corpse's pliant fingers to create even more damage.

The copy ninja made no flourishes and wasted no energy. Every attack was designed with one goal in mind: to kill, quickly and efficiently. Iruka repressed a shiver at the brutal display, thankful that they were on the same side.

In minutes Kakashi decimated the group of inferior shinobi. However, they all knew it wouldn't be long before they met with more powerful opponents. And of course, Orochimaru himself was not going to allow his prize to be stolen without a fight.

"Iruka, take Naruto and Sakura and move out," Kakashi ordered.

Having regained his breath in his brief respite, Iruka balked. "You've got to be kidding! After all we went through, we're _not _going to leave you now."

Instead of responding with anger at his defiance, which was what Iruka partially expected, the jounin closed his eyes and sighed. "Sensei…I understand what you risked to rescue me…and I thank you for it. But right now the three of you are a handicap. I'll fight better if I don't have to worry about protecting you." He paused here to look at his students before fixing his gaze on Iruka. "And I believe I can trust my genin's safety to you."

"Kakashi…"

But before the chunin could muster a response, Kakashi was on his knees violently retching out the contents of his stomach. The effects of the soldier pill wore off as rapidly as it had come, and it was clearly ravaging his system as it reacted with the other substances in his body.

Kakashi's bare skin gleamed with perspiration, and his muscles convulsed involuntarily. An attempt to stand was curtailed by another round of vomiting, this time of bile and blood.

Needing to buy time, Iruka backtracked down the passage and strategically set exploding tags. He recalibrated their strength to ensure the whole structure wouldn't fall down on top of them, then set off the weak explosives. It effectively sealed off the passage and created at least a temporary barrier to Orochimaru's forces.

The entire facility by now had to be aware of Kakashi's escape. A collapsed passage would delay them for minutes at most. Iruka's own abilities were hindered by his injuries and Kakashi was suffering from chemical poisoning. Chances were high that if he did not receive medical attention soon, the jounin would not make it.

Iruka's mind whirled through possibilities and scenarios, and finally he was forced to come to one conclusion. Their mission had failed.

Only three options were left.

Naruto, Sakura, and himself could stay with Kakashi. They could surrender. Or they could fight. If they fought, they would lose.

Then there was the third option- the one Kakashi had proposed. The only way for Sakura and Naruto to survive this would be to forfeit the copy ninja. Leave him to his fate and escape themselves. After all, it was Kakashi that Orochimaru was after. The Sannin did not even know who the intruders were, and chances were he did not particularly care so long as he recovered his prize.

Iruka pressed his canteen to the jounin's lips when the man ceased gagging, hoping to at least keep him hydrated. After managing a few sips, Kakashi stood shakily, heavily dependent on Iruka to support his weight.

The choice tore at him. Abandoning Kakashi was unthinkable. But allowing Naruto and Sakura to fall into the Snake Sanin's grasp, and possibly be killed, was even more unconscionable.

Iruka shuddered miserably. How had he deluded himself enough to even _think_ he could pull this operation off, let alone actually attempt it? Now they would all pay for his error.

Unless…

"Naruto! Sakura!"

Both genin, themselves terrified and desperate for leadership, turned to him immediately. "Yes, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka shifted so that Kakashi was leaning on Naruto instead. "I'm sending you two ahead with Kakashi-sensei. He needs to get medical attention as soon as possible if he's going to survive."

"You can't fight them alone," Kakashi protested.

"That's why I'm not going to," Iruka stated simply. "I have a plan."

Naruto and Sakura's eyes lit up at that remark.

Iruka quickly shed his chunin vest and weapons pouch, slipping them onto the jounin. "Take my equipment, use whatever you need." With a reproving glare, he added "But take it easy on the pills."

"I don't enjoy making myself sick," Kakashi glibly responded. "I just do what needs to be done."

The chunin nodded. "Fair enough. It's important that you remain unseen as much as possible, and eliminate anyone who _does_ catch sight of you," Iruka continued, as he reached into one of his pockets and retrieved the parchment he used at the very beginning. "Use this as the key for the main entrance."

Kakashi accepted the parchment, and gave him a questioning look. "This is really going to unseal the door?"

"It should," Iruka confirmed. "But if it doesn't, try to exit by the sewer pipes. The genin can show you the way, right guys?"

"You can count on us." Naruto confirmed.

"We won't let you down," Sakura added seriously.

"I know." Iruka smiled fondly at the pair. "Now go ahead, while I take care of things. And return to the village immediately; _don't wait for me_." He stressed. "Getting Kakashi to medical care quickly is priority number one. Understand? Let me handle my part myself."

"I told you, I don't abandon teammates and…" Kakashi started to protest.

"But you're not my teammate," Iruka pointed out. "You're the objective on this mission, and you're just going to have to trust me and go along with what I say."

"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura assured. "Iruka-sensei knows what he's doing."

"Yeah, didn't you hear him? He said he has a _plan_," Naruto added, as though that were explanation enough. "Even if it seems crazy or stupid, it'll work out in the end."

"Right," Iruka stated hurriedly, in far too much of a rush to decide whether he was offended or pleased by the statement. "Now get going!"

"Okay, see you later, Iruka-sensei," Naruto exclaimed. "Let's go, Kakashi-sensei!"

Iruka watched them leave with a heavy heart. If his plan succeeded, he would likely never see any of them again.

He once again formed very familiar hand seals. Only this time, Iruka assumed the form of the legendary copy ninja of Konoha, as the Sound ninja had last seen him: clad only in boxers, weakened, sallow-skinned, and body bearing signs of abuse. The chunin even took care to mimic the erratic aura of chakra Kakashi projected since his rescue.

When using a henge-no-jutsu, the key to success was to never stop with mere visual emulation. Rather, Iruka attempted to envelop himself in even the thoughts and emotions he associated with the subject, _becoming _that person to the greatest degree possible.

But what did that mean in regards to Kakashi?

Famous legend, utter mystery; severe teacher, lazy pervert; acclaimed hero, infuriating scoundrel- Kakashi was a paradigm of contradictions.

Unnerved by the sense of not quite knowing who he is, Iruka finally opted for one of the more recent sides the copy ninja had displayed- the impassive and efficient killer.

He pulled a bloody katana from one of the many corpses littering the floor. Shooting one last look at the passage where the others had disappeared, he ran in the opposite direction, taking no pains to hide his presence.

Whatever it required, Iruka would ensure that those three made it out alive. Even if he had to sacrifice himself to do it.

* * *

The next chapter will be the last!


	5. Chapter 4

Iruka's breath once again came in pained gasps as he flew through the passageways, destination already in mind. Since he staying, there was unfinished business to which he needed to attend. The collapse of the route behind him prevented enemy forces from catching up immediately, but he knew they weren't too far behind.

Just short of reaching his target destination, a group of shinobi ambushed him. Iruka engaged them immediately, fighting tooth and nail, confident that wherever his own abilities fell short of the copy ninja's, it would be attributed to the weakened state of the escaped prisoner.

He managed to kill one before slipping away from the fray long enough to enter the room and promptly seal the door behind him. Again, this bought him only minutes, but Iruka would take what he could get.

For the second time that day, the chunin found himself in the file room. At this point, stealing the information was impossible. The next best thing would be to destroy it to keep the enemy from profiting from it any further.

Iruka gravitated toward the computer which held all the data and results of Orochimaru's experimentations on Kakashi. If he could manage to both help the copy ninja escape, _and_ cause the Sanin to lose all the information he gained on him in the first place, he could truly count this operation a success.

But did it _have _to be computers? Iruka growled and smacked the keyboard when the machine denied him access again and again. He didn't have time for this! At moments like these he sorely missed Hayate, who could hack both limbs and computer systems with ease.

Well, dammit, there was more than one way to crash a computer. Iruka slapped a stolen explosive tag onto the machine, wrenched it from its place, and heaved it against the file cabinets. It promptly exploded with an impressive boom, taking some scrolls up in flames with it. Iruka grinned in spite of himself.

Sure, it lacked subtlety and finesse. But sometimes it was satisfying to just blow stuff up.

The seals were finally breeched and Sound ninja flooded into the room. Upon seeing the destruction, some panicked and attempted to use water jutsu to put out the flames. However, this only aggravated the electrical fire, causing it to spread to even more of the paper documents around them.

The looks on their faces were priceless. It made Iruka miss his old prankster days.

He had succeeded in gaining their attention and distracting them from the real Kakashi. Now he only needed to keep this performance up long enough to be sure the others had time to escape. Iruka leveled his bloodied kitana, mindful to allow his body to stagger as though he were worn out and on the last dregs of his strength.

He was outclassed and outnumbered, but as winning was not his top priority he didn't let that bother him. Rather he focused his energy on pouring out that aura of lethality and raw power Kakashi possessed. Regardless of the outcome, success was measured by his ability to deceive them into thinking that he was, in fact, the copy ninja.

In the course of battle, a large brute of a man struck his spine. Chakra pulses ran like electricity up and down his spinal chord, momentarily paralyzing his nervous system. It was all he could do to maintain his henge as he collapsed in a boneless heap.

Strong arms caught him in a vice grip before he hit the ground. "Gotcha," the Sound ninja triumphantly declared. The others made quick work of binding him hand and foot.

His captors traded congratulatory remarks at foiling this escape attempt faster than all the previous ones to date. But all clamor ceased at the sound of footsteps approaching at an almost leisurely pace.

Iruka was not in position to see the person approach, but he could see his captors bowing deeply. "Lord Orochimaru! We've recovered the copy ninja."

Someone grabbed Iruka's hair and forced him to look up at the slimy traitor looming over him.

If they expected praise from the Sannin, they were disappointed. "Maybe next time you fools will manage to keep him in place."

Promptly ignoring his men after this remark, he gripped Iruka's chin in one hand. "Tsk. Another failed escape attempt," the deceptively mellow voice reproved. "Kakashi, my pet, did you _really_ think you could escape my grasp?"

The moment of truth. The lives of his students, the life of the _real_ copy ninja, rested in Iruka's ability to convince this monster that he was, indeed, the legendary Sharingan Kakashi.

Now what would that scoundrel say in a situation like this?

"Escape? Mah, I was just stretching my legs, admiring the scenery." Iruka allowed his half-lidded gaze to roam casually over the dank stone walls, finally letting it rest on the raging fire that several ninjas were still trying to get under control. Offering that infuriating little crinkled-eye smile Kakashi gave when turning in a dilapidated mission report, he added, "You could use some help with interior decorating. I decided to brighten up the place…hope you don't mind."

Orochimaru stared piercingly at him for a long moment.

Iruka's nerves jangled while frantic thoughts scampered through his mind: He'd messed it up. He'd completely misjudged the copy nin. Of _course_ Kakashi in captivity was somber, strong, and silent. It seemed so obvious now! What a fool he'd been, to think Kakashi would be all sarcasm and irreverent humor! This was _imprisonment_ in the hand of an S-class criminal, for kage's sake, not a visit to the mission room. But _no_, he just had to ruin it and now…

The Snake Sannin's cold laughter interrupted his internal railing. "You're as feisty as ever, my pet."

A long tongue flicked out and traced Iruka's jawline, making him want to balk in protest, but he resisted as it did not seem Kakashi-esque.

Orochimaru grinned wickedly. "Do you really think you've won because you destroyed my research?" He gripped the captive's chin harder, forcing him to look up into serpentine eyes. "Well, you're _wrong_, Kakashi. This only means I get to start our experiments again…from the very beginning." Despite his cool tone, fierce anger burned in those gold eyes.

"You know what they say, Orochimaru," Iruka commented smoothly, feigning boredom despite the sickening fear gnawing inside, "It's just not the same the second time around."

"Of course not," the Snake Sanin agreed heartily. "I'll be sure to make it even _more_ painful."

Iruka was led roughly away by the ninja who'd incapacitated him earlier. The chunin put up a token resistance, since Kakashi apparently was not in the habit of being a passive captive, and was rewarded with a sharp twist of his arms and an increase in pressure on his wrists.

A loud crunching noise preceded an intolerable flare of pain in his right wrist and Iruka desperately clung to his henge, lest it should waver. When the Sound ninja brought him back to the lab, the leather straps were tied unmercifully tight. This seemed like another oportune moment for Kakashi sarcasm. "Could you tighten that a bit more for me? I think there's still some feeling left in my fingers." He weakly wiggled the fingers of his left, unbroken hand for emphasis.

"Lord Orochimaru! We're here to report!" A group of three sound ninja entered.

The Sannin turned to regard them and waited. Iruka strained to listen in.

"We've confirmed the presence of at least two intruders," a kunoichi stated. "They had already left the facility, and our team followed their trail."

_No._ Ice gripped the chunin's heart as he struggled to keep from showing his dismay.

"_And_?" Orochimaru prompted impatiently.

"And…the trail became unreadable. We…we lost them, my Lord," the ninja trembled and pressed on, "But we can send more men if you wish, to try to recover the lost trail."

The sannin frowned severely. "Why waste our time?" he snapped. "They've likely sent a messenger summon ahead with their information anyway. I have my prize. Let those fools flee to Konoha with their tails between their legs."

"Very well, sir."

"Have everyone prepare for evacuation. We leave here in thirty minutes. I want this place stripped down to bare walls."

"Yes sir!" The ninja made their exit, ready to comply with their leader's wishes

Iruka could have laughed in relief. It worked. It had really worked.

His joy was cut short when the Orochimaru loomed over him. "And that, my pet, leaves you and I with a half hour for our next session."

"Delightful," Iruka replied dryly, as he eyed the wicked needle his captor was carefully preparing.

His plan did have its drawbacks.

"You've developed a remarkable tolerance for this particular concoction," the Sannin noted, drawing a lime green liquid into the syringe. "So I had Kabuto alter it."

He pressed the end of the syringe, allowing a short stream of the fluid to squirt into the air. "This was the last project that boy completed, before his untimely death," Orochimaru stated somewhat dramatically as he shot his prisoner a pointed look. "It seems fitting that we should test it now."

Iruka's jaw clenched as the needle was inserted, well knowing he had no such built up tolerance. So long as he remembered to keep up the henge, what came next didn't matter.

Hot, liquid pain exploded at the point of insertion and rapidly coursed through his veins. His body jerked violently of its own volition, thrashing against his restraints, back arching off the table, instinctively seeking to escape the burning agony now enveloping his senses.

It took him entirely too long to realize that the screams ringing in his ears were his own.

Orochimaru raised a slender brow, apparently surprised by the violence of his reaction. The Sannin spoke to him then, but the words were incomprehensible. Meaningless noise in a backdrop of pain.

His vision became hazy, along with his mind. But he clung desperately to one thought, one image- that of the Kakashi. Even after the name itself ceased to have tangible meaning, and the image lost any intelligible association, he didn't dare let it go. It was important, somehow. There was something to lose by forgetting. Another word floated up in his thoughts, possibly a name- _Naruto_.

That word was also significant. It gave him strength to keep going.

A strong grip constrained his seizure-wracked body, holding it still. Something was forced against his lips, and he gagged against the wetness. _Water_, his delirium-clouded mind managed to supply.

More wetness, this time on his fevered brow. A painful prick in his other arm, a subsequent lessening of the pain.

"Interesting reaction," the Snake Sannin murmured. "Too bad we need you strong enough to survive travel." His hand threaded through Iruka's currently silver hair. "Further testing will have to wait."

Iruka's head lolled listlessly to the side. He didn't have to feign weakness now. At least the second needle prick must have administered an antidote of some kind, for he had a better grasp of his mental faculties once again.

"Mmnneh-ghemmeh" The chunin's tongue fumbled around the smart-aleck remark he'd attempted.

"Well put," Orochimaru smirked.

A new voice rang out, "My lord! We brought a stronger set of chakra cuffs for the prisoner." The Sound ninja approached with said item.

Heavy iron bands were clasped over abused wrists, and Iruka instantly felt his exerted chakra being leeched away. There was no preventing what happened next.

With an audible _pop_ and a burst of chakra smoke, the captive's true form appeared.

There was a long moment where all inhabitants of the room merely stared in wide-eyed shock.

"What…is…_this_?!" Orochimaru demanded, the intensity of his voice increasing with each slowly enunciated word.

"Uh…eh…" one of the men stumbled for a response. "It…looks like…someone else?"

"Of _course_ it's 'someone else'!" the Sannin spat in disgust. Then his eyes lightened with recognition. "_You_. You're…you're one of those Konoha chunin!"

He spun around to scream at his guards. "Idiots!" He thundered. "I trust you to recover my prize, and you hand over some worthless _nobody_ instead?"

"We're sorry, my Lord!" his minions cowered. "He…he was a convincing imposter…" Implied in that defense, but not overtly stated, was the fact that Orochimaru himself had been deceived by the pretender.

"Get out!" their leader snarled. "Find that trail! I want Kakashi back!"

"It must be a cold trail by now, sir. I don't know if…"

"GO!"

The ninja hurried to obey, scrambling to exit the room before they could become a target for the man's fury.

Iruka grinned at the display, knowing it would be nearly impossible for them to recover their target. The Snake spun around and fixed his wrathful gaze on the captive. "And _you_. I'll make you pay for this deception." He snarled and grasped the chunin's arm, shaking him roughly. "You think you're so clever, sacrificing yourself for Kakashi." Orochimaru growled and pressed his face closer to his captive's. "By the time I'm through with you, Iruka…"

Another rough shake on his arm. "Iruka!"

"Irukaaaa!"

"Iruka-sen-_sei_! Wake up already!"

_What_?

Iruka was pulled out of a half-remembered dream by the feeling of hands on his arm – shaking him from side to side.

The stupor of sleep clouded his memory. Something about…Orochimaru? His heart clenched in a moment of fear. Had Orochimaru and his minions found him?

That thought quickly disappeared when he registered a certain blond-haired boy's voice piercing through the last layer of what could only be described as a nightmare. "Hurry up and wake Iruka-sensei up, Sakura. I can't find the ramen!" Naruto shrieked, as though he'd never heard of the word "stealth."

"I'm trying, Naruto." Sakura shot back, giving his aching arm another good shake."But he sleeps almost as heavy as Kakashi-sensei!"

* * *

Yes…This was all a dream. (Except for the prologue.) ^_^; The last few lines are almost direct quotes from chapter 15 of Lessons Learned From a C Ranked Mission.

Though I imagine that the majority of you were already aware of this, to some it may have come as a surprise…or, as much as it pains me to admit it, even a disappointment. Nevertheless, I hoped you enjoyed the ride! ;)

Now, if you are curious to find out what _really _happens to Iruka and Kakashi, head over to KakashiKrazed's fic!

Frankly, I'd like to know myself how Kakashi gets rescued. I, along with many other readers, am eagerly awaiting the next installment even now.  
*THUD* Oh… did I just drop a hint? *wink*

A most sincere and heartfelt thank you goes out to **terracannon876, Reidluver, deerang88, Auphora66, Rangerfan58, Hiya120, Ryuosen, XimeB, KakashiKrazed, yure-chan, Skater Valentine, **and** Prescripto13 **for reviewing the last chapter!


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